Sena plays hardball on ratification of GST
In a clear indication that the Shiv Sena will not easily support the ratification of the State Goods and Services Tax Act (GST) in the upcoming special session of the state legislature, the party has reiterated its demand that the state should keep the sovereignty of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) intact after the new indirect tax regime comes into force in the state. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has also directed his corporators to reject the Development Plan 2034 in its present form. A senior Sena leader said Thackeray did not want to compromise on the financial autonomy of the BMC.
The party has advised its leaders to put their demand strongly in the two Houses during the three-day special session to ratify the State GST Act, said the leader. The session is scheduled to start from May 20.
The Sena leadership feels that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will use GST to dictate its policy and decisions in the civic body. “The revenue we are likely to lose once GST is implemented should be given to us directly. It should be deposited in an escrow account. We don’t want to go to the Centre every time begging for our money,” said Sena’s Anil Parab, party’s leader in the Maharashtra legislative council.
Besides the GST roll out, sources said Thackeray had also directed party corporators to defer the debate on the DP, which is slated for May 8. Sena corporators said that they wanted more time to suggest changes in the DP. Sena corporator Mangesh Satamkar, however, denied that Thackeray had given any orders on the DP. “Not just Sena corporators, but other corporators too want more time, at least a couple of months, to suggest changes in the proposed DP.”
Satamkar, a two-time corporator, explained, “BMC officials have carried forward the 1991 reservations on certain plots. This DP will be effective till 2034, so we want to change the reservations.”
According to Satamkar, the BMC has to finalise the DP by May 19. Corporators do not have enough time to look at the plan and suggest changes on issues such as affordable housing and slum rehabilitation projects, said Satamkar.